Correlation of maternal-fetal attachment and health practices during pregnancy with neonatal outcomes

Abstract

IntroductionLow birth weight due to preterm delivery or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is the strongest factor contributing to prenatal, neonatal, and postnatal mortality. Maternal–fetal attachment plays a significant role in maternal and fetal health. Health practices performed by the mother during pregnancy constitute one of the factors that may affect neonatal outcomes. The present study was conducted to identify the relationship between maternal–fetal attachment and health practices during pregnancy with neonatal outcomes.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 315 pregnant women with a gestational age of 33–41 weeks who presented to hospitals in Sirjan (Iran) between December 2014 and February 2015. The data collection tools used included the Health Practices in Pregnancy Questionnaire and the Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale. Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 20, focusing on the Pearson product–moment correlation and the logistic regression model. Statistical significance was set to p<0.05.ResultsThe mean score of maternal–fetal attachment was 60.34, and the mean score of health practices was 123.57. The mean birth weight of the neonates was 3052.38 g. Health practices (p<0.05, r=0.11) and maternal-fetal attachment (p<0.01, r=0.23) were positively and significantly correlated with neonatal outcomes. A significant positive relationship was also observed between maternal–fetal attachment and neonatal outcomes. No significant relationships were observed between health practices during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.ConclusionMaternal-fetal attachment and health practices during pregnancy are positively and significantly correlated with neonatal outcomes.

The Correlation of Sexual Dysfunction with Prenatal Stress and Quality of Life: A Path Analysis

“…There were also significant correlations between poor health before, during, and after pregnancy and inability to provide proper food and housing (38). In addition, previous studies have confirmed the correlation of low socioeconomic status with poor health and adverse pregnancy outcomes (39,40).…”

Prenatal Attachment and Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review

“…Interventions aimed at reducing depressive symptoms that can occur during the gestational period and that can impact the psychological wellbeing of expectant parents and the development of a positive prenatal attachment should be implemented [155][156][157][158][159][160]. To enhance this bond takes on a main role, considering its further influence on postnatal depression (as most of the studies included in the current systematic review reported) [74,81,99,105,110,111], and on other important factors involved in the wellbeing of the both parents and the child [28,29,[32][33][34][35]37,38,41,42].…”

“…Many authors underline that low maternal prenatal attachment is associated with low prenatal maternal fetus representations and self-care [25][26][27][28][29] and low postnatal attachment until 24 months postpartum [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Additionally, poor parental prenatal attachment has been connected to behavioral and conduct problems, lower cognitive development, and negative socioemotional regulations in early childhood [40][41][42].…”

Pregnant Women Sharing Pregnancy-Related Information on Facebook: Web-Based Survey Study

“…Overall, the research indicates that prenatal attachment is negatively associated with harmful maternal behaviors and positively associated with behaviors that are more optimal during pregnancy. It is then not surprising that prenatal attachment has also been associated with negative neonatal outcomes such as low birth weight [ 33 , 43 ].…”